Police arrest man they believe is impersonating an officer

UPDATE, 9 a.m. Friday: Antonio Codute-Farrison turned himself in Thursday night and was booked into the Snohomish County Jail. ------------ EVERETT — A man with a history of impersonating police officers and others could be up to his old tricks.Detectives with the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office are looking for Antonio L. Codute-Farrison, 24, department spokeswoman Shari Ireton said.Codute-Farrison is believed to be in possession of law enforcement gear, including weapons, a Taser, handcuffs and ballistic vests.Deputies believe they have probable cause to arrest Codute-Farrison for criminal impersonation of a police officer and illegal possession of firearms, Ireton said. That happened when Codute-Farrison attended a gun show at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe on Saturday."When asked by security if he was armed, he allegedly confirmed that he was, but that he was an undercover detective with Washington State Patrol and displayed what appeared to be an authentic badge," Ireton said.At the time, he was driving a Ford Expedition that had been retired from the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office fleet. It was equipped with lights and siren. Detectives obtained a search warrant for the vehicle and found various law enforcement-related gear and two assault rifles inside.Deputies are concerned that Codute-Farrison could pose a risk to the public, Ireton said.Four years ago, he was arrested at a University Place middle school after allegedly claiming to students he was a Pierce County Sheriff's Department narcotics officer. He also got in hot water for a similar incident in Spanaway. Previous media accounts said he once spoke to a middle school class while posing as an Iraq War veteran. It is the second time this month that local police have reported an incident involving someone posing as a law enforcement officer. They don't appear to be connected.Marysville police are developing information about a suspect in connection with a Feb. 6 robbery that involved a man who posed as an officer. Witnesses reported seeing what looked like an undercover police officer in SWAT gear patting down two people at the corner of 88th Street and State Avenue. One of the men reported having a large amount of money stolen from his wallet. Codute-Farrison is black, weighs about 180 pounds and is listed as 6 feet tall.Anyone who may have information about Codute-Farrison or his whereabouts is asked to call the sheriff's anonymous tip line at 425-388-3845. Detectives also would like to speak to anyone who might have been stopped by Codute-Farrison while he was posing as a police officer, Ireton said.Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446, stevick@heraldnet.com.

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